Masterclass from producer of BBC Story of Wales

Students at Glamorgan’s Atrium campus had a sneak preview of the new BBC Story of Wales, when John Geraint, creative director of Green Bay Media, who made the series, gave a masterclass on television production.

Image: BBC

We can reveal that the programmes feature dramatic shots of presenter Huw Edwards in scenic and inaccessible locations, reconstructions, interviews with 30 historians and experts, and computer graphics which recreate scenes and buildings from the distant past.

When BBC Wales announced the £1 million commission in 2010, the Atrium hosted a discussion between TV producers, historians and media academics about the form which a history of Wales could or should take, coming 25 years after the memorable HTV series The Dragon Has Two Tongues.

Then, a contested history was debated by presenters Gwyn Alf Williams and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas. The new six-part history of Wales is presented by one of the BBC’s most senior journalists. As series producer John Geraint explained, that had implications for the way in which Huw Edwards reported political controversies – like the drowning of Capel Celyn – which still resonate today.